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Religion is Not about God: How Spiritual Traditions Nurture our Biological Nature and What to Expect When They Fail
2006 Choice Outstanding Academic Title
Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one, and some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or nonexistence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God , then what is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us . Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Drawing on examples from the major traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—Rue shows how each religion, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. As all faiths are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, this book presents a compelling and positive view of the centrality and meaning of religion.
Thousands of religious traditions have appeared over the course of human history but only a relative few have survived. Some speak of a myriad of gods, others of only one, and some recognize no gods at all. Volumes have been written attempting to prove the existence or nonexistence of supernatural being(s). So, if religion is not about God , then what is it about? In this provocative book, Loyal Rue contends that religion, very basically, is about us . Successful religions are narrative (myth) traditions that influence human nature so that we might think, feel, and act in ways that are good for us, both individually and collectively. Through the use of images, symbols, and rituals, religion promotes reproductive fitness and survival through the facilitation of harmonious social relations. Drawing on examples from the major traditions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism—Rue shows how each religion, in its own way, has guided human behavior to advance the twin goals of personal fulfillment and social coherence. As all faiths are increasingly faced with a crisis of intellectual plausibility and moral relevance, this book presents a compelling and positive view of the centrality and meaning of religion.
408 pages, Paperback
First published November 3, 2004
11 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Loyal Rue
9 books6 followersLoyal Duane Rue is an American philosopher and writer whose research focuses on naturalistic theories of religion. He is Professor Emeritus in the philosophy and religion departments at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.
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November 16, 2024DMPL. Ordered PB 2024_11_16. Read 25 minutes a day?
February 26, 2025
Super interesting mix of cognitive science and religious studies
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May 5, 2010American novelist and professor of philosophy Rebecca Newberger Goldstein has chosen to discuss Loyal Rue’s
Religion Is Not about God
on FiveBooks as one of the top five on her subject - Reason and its Limitations, saying that:
“…I like this book’s title, which is itself a proposition. The explanatory model Rue employs comes from evolutionary psychology. He is trying to account for what, if any, adaptive purpose religion has. Why does almost every society, as soon as it gets to a certain level of complexity, construct some sort of religious mythology, one which merges both cosmology and morality? …”
The full interview is available here: http://five-books.com/interviews/rebe...
“…I like this book’s title, which is itself a proposition. The explanatory model Rue employs comes from evolutionary psychology. He is trying to account for what, if any, adaptive purpose religion has. Why does almost every society, as soon as it gets to a certain level of complexity, construct some sort of religious mythology, one which merges both cosmology and morality? …”
The full interview is available here: http://five-books.com/interviews/rebe...
February 22, 2010
Please Check out my website for a full review: Religion Is Not About God
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April 28, 2016So, I learned from this that non-fiction smart books (as in, not history or biography/memoir) can have twist endings.
It would have been nice if Paganism was talked about more, especially towards the end, but I do understand why it wasn't.
It would have been nice if Paganism was talked about more, especially towards the end, but I do understand why it wasn't.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews